Tech Stuff - W3C DOM
We are not big fans of Javascript or any other client side scripting for that matter. We originally used javascript like everyone else for local page effects (roll-overs, pop-out menus and other stupid stuff) in the bad old pre-DOM days. We now use CSS almost exclusively for this purpose. CSS does have limitations if you want super-snazzy pages but we generally don't - as may be obvious from our site! Nevertheless, we use Javascript especially for client side applications like our calculators (wireless and audio) and Regular Expression tester as well as trivial page effect stuff like printing, page linking and font size changes for which there appear to be no other solutions - better, make that none that we can find.
In the context of Javascript - and all future client side scripting that we can see - the W3C DOM is vital. The W3C DOM is big and complex which - coupled with the lingering browser incompatibilities and proprietary DOMs - probably explains the rise of the Javascript libraries. The smallest of which we can find weighs in at around 80K and the biggest at well over 200K for a page with 10K of useful user data. Perhaps just a tad overkill. Or, perhaps, plain stupid.
These pages were originally written when the world was young and the DOM very much the bleeding edge. They are updated when we need to know stuff - which based on our comments above about javascript is not very often. Very much a work in progress like much of the stuff on this site.
| DOM User Guide |
Our version of a DOM User Guide. We add methods and properties as we need them. We found lots of omissions from the available material so created our own. Each section references the base W3C specs as well as our own content. We are not trying to replicate the W3C effort but rather document usage with some real-world examples. The HTML section is not complete. This is a BIG page. |
| HTML Page Explorer |
This page allows you to look at and explore an HTML page using the W3C DOM and find the various objects and hierarchies. Based on some early experiments when trying to understand and navigate the DOM. Pretty crude but still kinda fun and useful when we forget all this stuff - which is often. |
| DOM Navigation |
Our overview of page navigation/exploration using the DOM. The key points you need to know while you are drowning in detail. IOHO. |
Problems, comments, suggestions, corrections (including broken links) or something to add? Please take the time from a busy life to 'mail us' (at top of screen), the webmaster (below) or info-support at zytrax. You will have a warm inner glow for the rest of the day.
